Fellows Programs

The Wallace Wilson Fellowship

Established in 2000 by Wallace Wilson ’47, and enriched by gifts from Mr. Wilson’s stepson William Mathis ’84, the Wallace Wilson Visiting Scholars Chair supports a year-long fellowship program. Distinguished educators from a variety of disciplines come to Deerfield to teach, involve themselves in the life of the school, and complete scholarly projects of their own. The intention is to expose students to scholars from many disciplines but also to allow the Fellow time for personal scholarship. There is a slightly reduced teaching load and some assigned activities that are part of boarding school life. During the year-long appointment, Wilson Fellows are considered full members of the faculty and are awarded housing and standard benefits.

Previous Wilson Fellows have included:

Malcolm McKenzie, retired Headmaster of the Malu a Pula School in Botswana; Sam Weisman, filmmaker; David and Hillary Matthews (Mr. Matthews is the retired Headmaster of the Tiger Kloof School in South Africa); David Marcus, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author; Gloria Barrett, authority in mathematics and mathematics education; and Trevor McKinlay, retired Headmaster of Markham College in Lima, Peru.

If you are interested in becoming a Wilson Fellow or would like to suggest a candidate, send a cover letter and resume to Ivory Hills, Assistant Head of School for Strategy and Planning & Dean of Faculty, via email to Ivory Hills.  The subject line in the email should be Wilson Fellow. Decisions regarding new members of the faculty are usually made from mid-March through mid-May.

Early-Career Teaching Fellowship at Deerfield

The Early-Career Fellowship at Deerfield offers curious, optimistic, and energetic individuals an opportunity to explore independent school teaching. Our program seeks to develop novice teachers who aim to lay a strong foundation for a career in education. With the ongoing support of an experienced mentor teacher, fellows immerse themselves in all aspects of life at Deerfield. They teach courses, advise students, supervise in our residence halls, and coach or supervise in our co-curricular program. Appointments in specific academic departments will vary year-to-year depending on the Academy’s needs. Weekly meetings with the program director and mentor teacher introduce them to effective pedagogical techniques, assessment design and grading, methods for cultivating students’ sense of belonging and inclusion, and curricular considerations. 

We select candidates who have a keen interest in boarding school life and a desire to work in a high-challenge, high-support environment. Our great strength at Deerfield is our community. Together we value rigorous inquiry, inclusive collaboration, open discourse, and sustained reflection. We are especially interested in hiring and supporting candidates traditionally underrepresented in boarding school faculties and those who bring diverse ideas and experiences to our community. 

Early-career fellowships are initially two-year, salaried positions with campus housing provided. Fellows who have demonstrated success in the classroom, dorm, and co-curricular responsibilities may be reappointed for additional years.  Deerfield believes that the best faculty is a learning faculty. Fellows will be eligible for support for professional development and education in their field of study. 

If you are interested in becoming an Early-Career Fellow, please submit your materials via our job posting.